Hello! I have been managing a VPN community project for 2 years now, supporting users in places with limited internet access. Our community stands by the belief that privacy is a basic right and we are dedicated to fighting for it.
Curious about where internet censorship is the worst
Want to know how tunneling protocols operate
Wondering how a VPN functions or why it is beneficial
Here to respond to all your questions
Do VPNs track user data
Join our free VPN community on this forum r/vpn_fail or visit our website VPN.fail
I would really like to get answers to those questions you’ve listed. Also, how would you suggest someone should start learning about cybersecurity practices and build skills to stay safe? Thanks for creating this platform. It’s great to see people like you.
@Linden
Thanks for the great question and the encouragement. First off, much respect for your interest in cybersecurity—it’s a super important field, especially if you are in a country with a strict regime.
Before giving advice, what would you say your current knowledge level is? Are you familiar with basic online security (like disk encryption, 2FA on key accounts, etc.), or are you looking to learn more about advanced topics like network security or privacy tools? Knowing this would help me provide better guidance!
Also, to answer some of the AMA questions:
Countries facing the worst censorship? Iran, China, and North Korea are at the top, but there are many others with strict regulations.
Why use a VPN? Think of it as a protective layer for your online activities, making it difficult for snoopers (like ISPs or governments) to observe or enforce restrictions.
August said:
When using a VPN, can these countries really not see what happens? Are certain VPNs more effective than others
That’s a great question needing a detailed answer. There are VPN protocols like V2Ray that can be set up to appear as SSL/TLS over port 443. This makes it hard for these countries to separate VPN traffic from normal HTTPS traffic.
Here’s why:
Port 443 is the standard for encrypted HTTPS traffic (the same one you use when securely browsing sites like banks). Using this port, VPN traffic blends in with most regular internet activity.
V2Ray includes obfuscation methods that embed VPN traffic in layers of encryption, often resembling standard HTTPS. When combined with SSL/TLS, it tricks the traffic into looking like typical secure web browsing.
Advanced V2Ray settings can use tools like WebSocket or HTTP/2, further camouflaging VPN traffic as normal web requests. This adds another layer of protection against targeted blocking.
Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) systems, which governments use, are often unable to tell V2Ray traffic apart from legitimate HTTPS.
Pippin said:
From which country do you get the most activity for your services?
How do you communicate with them, and do they usually trust you
Great question! We see most activity from Iran, China, and Russia—no surprises there due to their strict internet rules. Interestingly, India is also significant, as the need for privacy and overcoming censorship is rising there too.
As for how we spread the word, we don’t use paid ads. It’s all word of mouth. We’ve set it up for our current members to share our VPN with friends, and in return, they earn tokens. These can be used to access premium servers for a better experience. It’s a win-win that’s worked really well, especially in trusted communities.
Since your service does not use a distributed network for entry points.
Couldn’t a country that has banned some VPNs (like China) easily track your server IPs and find every one of your users just by looking at their ISP router logs, or completely block access to those IPs
I mean, they wouldn’t be able to see the data in the packets, but how IP networks work, it seems easy for a government to follow your user activities.
Perry said:
Could you share your experiences regarding internet censorship in the west?
People mainly talk about the east with government control, but I’m sure our own countries take actions in similar ways
Good point! It’s true that internet censorship in the ‘west’ often goes unnoticed, particularly in media and journalism, which usually highlight censorship in other areas.
While restrictions in the west are more subtle compared to what is seen in other regions, we’ve observed a growing number of users from the EU and UK opting for VPNs to browse freely.
For instance, EU and UK governments have intensified efforts to combat misinformation, especially on sensitive issues like the war in Ukraine. While this may be to protect citizens from harmful content, it often results in news sources being blocked or content filtered selectively.
Another example is recent strict gambling regulations in some western nations, which have limited access to online gambling sites that many used for years. VPNs provide a way to bypass these rules and access restricted platforms.
What’s striking about the ‘west’ is the quiet way these restrictions are enforced, often framed as “protection” instead of censorship. More users from these countries are waking up to the idea that their governments also control access to parts of the internet, especially concerning politically sensitive subjects.
This shift is leading more people to use VPNs to regain their online freedom, much like users in regions with heavier censorship. It’s interesting to see this trend develop in places often viewed as defenders of free speech.
Nolan said:
Can you see their traffic? Any unusual findings? How much does it cost to run the service
We are committed to real anonymity, so we do not track, log, or monitor user activity on our VPN servers. This isn’t just a statement; it’s part of our framework. By not keeping entry or exit logs, we ensure there’s nothing to spy on.
This dedication aligns with our view that privacy is a basic right. Our community and service were established on the idea that online freedom should be available to all without the fear of being tracked.
About costs- in the beginning, we covered them ourselves and through donations due to our belief in the need for a reliable VPN. Now, with a growing community, we manage server costs through:
Ads on our website
Partnerships with hosting firms
Premium VPN accounts for those looking to support our community and enjoy better features
In short, the community’s backing makes this all possible.
Nolan said:
Can you see their traffic? Any unusual findings? How much does it cost to run the service
Today, most online communication uses encryption.
The maximum information any VPN provider can collect about you, even if they wanted to, is what services you use and how often you visit. Other details remain encrypted and can only be accessed by you and the service you use.
Currently, WireGuard and V2Ray are two of the most popular and effective protocols for bypassing censorship in strict countries. Both are open-source with client and server code available on GitHub and supported by communities dedicated to privacy and internet freedom.
WireGuard is a lightweight and efficient VPN protocol recognized for its simplicity, speed, and strong encryption. Its compact code makes it less susceptible to attacks.
V2Ray is a more complex tool often used to evade censorship. It supports ways to disguise VPN traffic as HTTPS or other legitimate protocols, making it very effective against Deep Packet Inspection (DPI).
We firmly believe in the value of open-source software, which is why we use these tools. They undergo constant review by the global developer community, ensuring transparency and security.
To keep users safe, we encourage them to download official clients from reliable sources like the GitHub repositories for these projects. This prevents users from unknowingly using modified or vulnerable software. It also aligns with our commitment to building trust and following best practices in the field.
@Orin
Do you know the history of V2Ray? The SSR developer was arrested by the Chinese authorities, as was the V2Ray developer. Trojan is currently the best option, no connection drops like V2Ray. I couldn’t make WhatsApp calls or SSH into a remote computer using V2Ray.
Toryn said:
What do these countries aim to achieve by limiting internet access
Countries cut internet access for various reasons, mostly about control. A major reason is to prevent people from sharing information that might stir protests. Governments want to guide the narrative, often shutting down access during elections or protests to prevent organization. That’s when VPNs and proxy services come in handy.
Sometimes it’s about “protecting” cultural or moral values, like blocking sites with certain content deemed offensive. Other times, the excuse is national security, claiming it’s to stop terror communications or fake news during emergencies.
Some nations also do this to promote their own technology and businesses over foreign platforms, by blocking popular social media in favor of local ones. Others aim to fight cybercrime or curtail illegal activity online.
They also use this to restrict activism or human rights movements, making it difficult for groups to coordinate or share information. Governments may say it’s about fighting misinformation, but more often, it is simply to silence critics.
In the end, they want to control what information people can access and express, regardless of the impact on the economy or international relations. And of course, people usually find ways around restrictions with VPNs, which is good for us.
First off, much respect for your interest in cybersecurity—it’s a super important field, especially if you are in a country with a strict regime.